Christian Heritage
MT-15 - Christian Heritage
Half Day - Possible on private basis only
The tour begins with a walk along the beautiful Golden Horn, the perfect introduction to the splendors of Christianity that crown the cityscape of Istanbul. One of these splendors is the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, one of the fourteen autocephalous churches of the communion of Orthodox Christianity. Our tour of the Orthodox world will continue with a visit to Balat and the Bulgarian Iron Church, completed in 1898 and brought from Europe by rail. From here, we will explore the wooden buildings located at the base of the imposing old city walls, where practitioners of three religions in the district lived harmoniously together in a single neighborhood. In addition to admiring the architecture of these wooden treasures, there will be plenty of opportunities to photograph the Walls of Constantinople, which stand firm to this day, as well as the Golden Gate, which still stands and is the famous entrance to the Yedikule Fortress, gateway to the heart of Byzantium. Within those walls, one of the main attractions has always been the Little Hagia Sophia, an Eastern Orthodox church, so named because it may have served as a model for Hagia Sophia. After this visit, we will enjoy some delicious Turkish cuisine before heading to the Galata Tower, a 14th century medieval stone tower built by the Genoese that dominates the Beyoglu skyline, offering from its parapet sweeping views of the Old City, the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara, as well as being one of the city’s most striking landmarks. From the Galata Tower, we will take a short walk along the historic Istiklal Avenue to St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, the most beautiful church in Istanbul, built in 1912.
